Fotjrths to warren av



(No Model.)

J. M. VANOVER.

WIRE FENCE.

N0. 362,911. m i \Pa,tente'd May 10, 1887. .1 A,

l. E? la N, PETERS, PhomLilharzpher, Walhingion. DA C4 Unire STATES JOSEPH M. VANOVER, OF TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF THREE- FOURTHS TO VARREN V. FERIS, JAMES Y. \VRlGHT, AND H. E. HENRY,

ALL OF SAME PLACE.

WIRE FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.362,911, dated May 10, 1887.

Application filed January 15, 1587. Serial No. 224.1151. {No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Josera M. VANovnR, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Terre Haute, in the county of Vigo and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in IVire Fences; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in wire fences; and it con- A sists, substantially, in the same as constructed,

and in such peculiar arrangement, construction, and combinations of parts, as will hereinafter be more particularly described, and pointed out in the claims.

The object of theinvention is to simplify the construction of fences of this character, and to 2o thereby economize in cost over many former inventions heretofore devised, and to render the erection thereof so easy as to require but little or no skill for the performance thereof.

Further, the invention has for its object to provide automatic tightening devices at the end of each fence-section, by which a self-con-y formity to expansion of the wires is had'resnltant from thermal changes and conditions of the atmosphere, and also to contractions of 3o the wires due to the fall or lowering of the temperature.

Finally, the invention has additional obj eets in view, all as'will more fully appear from the description hereinafter following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l represents a vertical longitudinal elevation of a section of fence wherein my improvements are embodied. Fig. 2 represents 4o aperspective view of fence-post employed in the practice of my invention7 the same indicating more clearly the construction thereof. Eig. 3 is a view in detail, showing the automatic tension or tightening mechanism employed at one end ot' each fence-section.

Reference being had to the several parts by the letters marked thereon, A and B each represent a post or upright arranged at opposite ends of a fenceseetion, and which are preferably each provided with a base, a, which are inserted in the ground for the purpose of maintaining these posts in a permanent upright position. Extending through suitable openings in the post marked A, and likewise through two movable upright rods, C and D, are screw rods or bolts E E, preferably thrcein number. These screw-bolts have arranged upon them between the rods C l) spiral springs F, the same having their bearing between the said upright rods. The screw rods or bolts on which these springs are held are headed on one end7 while their opposite extremities are screwthreaded, and are provided with adj usting nuts c tothe outer side of the vertical upright or post A.

It is evident that by screwing up the nuts c the tension of the springs will be increased, andthercby tend to force the inner rod, C, outwardly, and thus exert a tension or strain upon the longitudinal wires H, secured to this rod at one end and secured to the post I3 at the opposite end of the fence-section, the said wires being attached or secured in any suitable or preferred manner.

At suitable intervals of the felice section I employ the metallic fenceposts L, which are corrugated longitudinally or lengthwise for the purpose of obtaining maximum strength, or, in other words, they are of an approXimate S shape in horizontal section. These posts are also provided with suitable supporting-bases, g, which may be either seated upon the surface of or inserted inthe ground. At alternate points of their length and near the edges thereof they are formed or provided with holes or perforations i, through which the wires II pass,and from which it will be seen that, in addition to the wires being supported by the posts, they themselves serve to support the posts from opposite sides. For the purpose of facilitating ready insertion ot' the wires in the openings, I provide slits k k', and it will thus be seen that by bending the slight wing or severed portion produced by these slits or incisions the said wires may be quickly in- 95 serted and the metal afterward bent back into place to prevent the wires from becoming unseated or dislodged. In the top edges of these corrugated posts I provide suitable notches, Z, which are for the reception of top rails of wood or other suitable material. Y

Intermediate of the corrugated metallic posts and the end uprights or posts, A and B,

vI employ auxiliary wire posts or stays M,

` the letter m.

From the foregoing description it is thought that the construction, arrangement, and operation of the parts contributing toward myI invention will be fully understood; but it may be stated that in erecting a fenceaccording to my invention, after the longitudinal wires have been properly located in position and fastened at their extremities in the manner shown, the automatic compensator is adj usted to draw the wires taut, and it has been found that when this is done the tension of the springs is usually sufficient to automatically take up any slack in the wires produced by thermal changes, and it is of course apparent that a reversal of this action will take place on contraction of the wires resultant from extreme cold or lowering ofthe atmospheric temperature. If, however, it should be found after once setting the tension devices that they insufficiently perform the function of tightening the wires, it is only necessary to tighten the nuts on the screw-bolts until the proper adjustment is attained.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is l l. In a wire fence, the combination of the end posts, A and B, the movable upright rods C and I), the screw-bolts passing through these rods and post A, and having adjustingnuts, springs borne on these bolts between the rods, the corrugated posts L, having alternating openings on theiropposite edges,and slit, as at 7c k', the Wires H, passing through said openings and secured to the rod G and post B,

and lauxiliary posts or stays constructed of two or more wires woven or twisted into the u wires H, substantially as described.

v2. In a wire fence, the combination of the end posts, A and B, the movable upright rods C and D, the screw -bolts passing vthrough these rods and post A, and having adjustingj JOSEPH M. VANOVER.

Witnesses:

HARVEY J. HUsToN, JOHN B. Dnnns. 

